Analyst(s): Olivier Blanchard
Publication Date: September 9, 2025
Qualcomm has launched the Dragonwing Q-6690, the world’s first enterprise mobile processor with fully integrated UHF RFID. The chip combines RFID, AI, and next-gen wireless, targeting retail, logistics, and manufacturing with scalable, upgrade-ready platforms.
What is Covered in this Article:
- Qualcomm’s launch of the Dragonwing Q-6690 with integrated RFID.
- Adoption by OEMs, including Zebra, Honeywell, Urovo, HMD Secure, and CipherLab.
- Use cases across retail, logistics, and industrial sectors.
- Partner perspectives from Decathlon, EssilorLuxottica, and RAIN Alliance.
- Cost savings, efficiency, and connectivity benefits of the Q-6690 platform.
The News: Qualcomm unveiled the Dragonwing Q-6690, the first enterprise mobile chip to feature built-in UHF RFID. It also supports 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and ultra-wideband, making it a fit for everything from handhelds to point-of-sale (POS) systems and kiosks.
Big-name manufacturers like Zebra, Honeywell, Urovo, HMD Secure, and CipherLab are already on board, with commercial devices expected soon. Qualcomm also pointed out that the chip’s software features can be updated over-the-air, helping speed up product launches and extend the lifespan of devices.
Qualcomm Debuts First Processor With Fully Integrated RFID Functionality
Analyst Take: Simplifying Design and Cutting Costs – The Q-6690 is a big leap for enterprise mobility, baking RFID capability directly into the chip. This mashup of RFID, AI, and next-gen wireless eliminates the need for extra hardware and makes devices like handhelds and scanners lighter and more compact. This is particularly important in verticals like retail, logistics, and manufacturing, where small form factors and lower TCO are critical.
In addition to the added utility of smaller, simpler form factors, this could cut manufacturing costs by as much as 30%, making advanced tracking tech more affordable for smaller companies. This is a particularly interesting point, given that Qualcomm tends to lead with premium performance and pricing, and isn’t always known for being a market’s low-price option. For retailers and manufacturers, this means easier access to tools that track inventory in real time, all without breaking the bank. Qualcomm’s chip is shaping up to be a smart, cost-friendly solution for industries going digital. We can infer from this detail that Qualcomm’s ambitions here prioritize scale and speed-to-scale.
Shaking Up Retail and Customer Experience
Retailers like Decathlon are already seeing the benefits of RFID: With RFID built in, stores can keep better track of inventory, create smarter shopping experiences, and speed up checkout. EssilorLuxottica also points to RFID enabling not just smoother shopping and better tracking, but also more sustainable, frictionless, uncluttered, and luxurious shopping experiences. In other words, retailers can leverage RFID, and the Q-6690 solution in particular, to help them be more efficient but also deliver a range of retail experiences, from fast and frictionless to premium and remarkable.
Pushing IoT and Logistics Forward
The RAIN Alliance sees the Q-6690 as a big step in making IoT more accessible, powering RAIN-tagged tools for logistics teams and retail workers alike. Its built-in RFID can read tags from several meters away, helping companies track items, verify products, and monitor supply chains – all at scale. It is also more power-efficient and built for high-speed scanning in tough spots like warehouses. This makes it a strong fit for industries that need constant connectivity and up-to-the-minute data. In short, it could change how businesses roll out IoT systems.
Strategic and Competitive Impact
To date, no competitor – whether MediaTek or Samsung – has launched a comparable solution with RFID directly on chip. Qualcomm’s move marks a shift toward processors made specifically for enterprise use, targeting a market worth billions. We expect that this release could motivate others to accelerate their RFID and AI plans in the coming year.
Meanwhile, partnering with brands like Zebra and Honeywell provides Qualcomm with a solid launchpad, with backing from other industry partners adding momentum. Broadly, the Q-6690 represents not only a technological breakthrough but also a potentially significant strategic IIOT play for Qualcomm in critical segments like retail, logistics, and manufacturing.
What to Watch:
- The pace of adoption by OEMs like Zebra, Honeywell, and CipherLab.
- How retail partners such as Decathlon and EssilorLuxottica deploy RFID-enabled devices.
- Market response to Qualcomm’s claims of cost savings up to 30%.
- Security and privacy considerations surrounding enterprise RFID data transmission.
- Competitive responses from MediaTek, Samsung, and others in enterprise chip design.
See the complete press release on Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-6690 on the Qualcomm Technologies website.
Disclosure: Futurum is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Futurum as a whole.
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Author Information
Olivier Blanchard is Research Director, Intelligent Devices. He covers edge semiconductors and intelligent AI-capable devices for Futurum. In addition to having co-authored several books about digital transformation and AI with Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman, Blanchard brings considerable experience demystifying new and emerging technologies, advising clients on how best to future-proof their organizations, and helping maximize the positive impacts of technology disruption while mitigating their potentially negative effects. Follow his extended analysis on X and LinkedIn.
